Monday, September 19, 2011

Simple suggestion for the new ACC

If the ACC sticks with 14 teams, the conference can keep the two division format. (16 teams would probably require four, four-team divisions.) There is a lot of talk about geography in the new set up, but I suggest that the split be along historical lines. I would scrap the current configuration and align the teams like this:


(big) East Division
Boston College
Maryland
Miami
Pittsburgh
Syracuse
Virginia
Virginia Tech


Atlantic (coast) Division
Clemson
Duke
Florida State
Georgia Tech
North Carolina
NC State
Wake Forest

With this set up, you reunite most of the former Big East members in one division. Miami gets to play near their northern alumni. The (overblown) travel costs are somewhat mitigated. Maryland -- the long-time whiner about Tobacco Road's influence -- gets to play the conference newbies. The ACC purests get their own division. The only real loser in this setup is UVA. They have historical ties with most of the ACC. Lumping them in with the old Big East would diminish that. But if you assured UVA their annual game with UNC, they might be on board.


While competitive balance is hard to predict, this split captures current strengths and programs that have inherent historical advantages.


This seems so simple, it probably won't happen. But as I mentioned previously BC's future schedules will have a very familiar feel to them.

26 comments:

eagle1331 said...

Swap Clemson with UVa and I don't mind it. Then again, I'd rather Pitt and Syracuse never have joined, so who am I to speak. I hope Gene, whom we all thoroughly hate at this point I believe, will at least fight against UConn getting invited. Let it be his parting gift before he "retires."

The Sean McMahon said...

Rumor has it Gene has enough votes to block UConn getting in. Finally he does something right. Of course Gene also may be close to being run out of Chestnut Hill by students and alumni alike

Matt said...

What's your proposal for interconference scheduling...as in, how many non-division games each year? Not sure of the logistics of working with seven teams...

ATL_eagle said...

I think you need a nine game schedule. You get six division games, 1 rivalry game and two rotation games.

Matt said...

Who would you pair up as "rivals" between these divisions?

These are easy:
BC-Clemson
Maryland-Duke
Miami-Florida State
Virginia-UNC

But what about the others?

mod34b said...

Maybe the ACC should drop the 'rivalry' game and and have it so that you play your 6 division teams every year, and then play 3/7cross-division teams each year via the usual a home-and-away two-year cylce. So, you would see a cross division team once at home and once away during about every four year period.

You do not need a rivalry game if your potential rivals are all in your division (except UVA v UNC)

chicagofire1871 said...

No more permanent rivals. Just have a rotating 3 game sched. We are all in a conference together, shouldn't we want to play everyone?

matthew2 said...

While I thinnk it's fair to rip GDF for the state of the football program, the fact that we were 'ahead of the game' in switching to a conference like the ACC... someone deserves a TON of credit. I don't know if GDF is 0% or 100% responsible, but credit is due somewhere in my opinion. The ACC looks like it has a very bright future.

mod34b said...

Good afternoon Matthew2. Didn't you want to offer credit to Obama for making this possible?

NEDofSavinHill said...

Did someoe drug Swafford? Itis a huge mistake to add the worst football team in the worst BCS conference, Syracuse, and an average Pitt team. In Basketball both are presentable, but academically, ethically and football-wise, their stench is pronouced. Is the Pitt pres. a hypocrite or what? See what he said when BC was leaving the Big East in 2003. He called them contract violators, disloyal and unethical. The only salutory effect of this move is that BC may be able to avoid those horrendous Big East officials. The gospel message on Sunday was the last shall be first and the first last. GDF must have had this lesson in mind when he failed to keep O'brien as football coach. BC used to be first(second only to VT in wins) and now they're last (behind Duke) BC's leadership is quite similar to Ancient Rome's. Leahy is comporablr to Nero: he's fiidling while the atletic department collapses and GDF resembles Caligua, who declared himself a god and beyond question. GDF just had himself inducted into BC's hall of fame. Contrast GDF to Chet Gladchuck at Navy: he hired Johnson and Niamaletolo. Navy hadn't beaten ND in the 45 prior years; Gladchuk's hires have won 3 of the last 4 years,a truly historic achievenent. BC has fallen off a cliff as far as AD's go: from a hyperian to a satyr.

Big Jack Krack said...

I am in my Wilson, NC office today.

I cannot go anywhere in this manufacturing facility without hearing about our loss to DUKE! Luckily I have a thick coat of feathers.

Thoughts on expansion, etc - I don't have a vote.

Once Syracuse and Pitt play a full ACC schedule, I would like to see an even balance in the 14 teams - both Northern and Southern Teams in each Division.

If that can't happen, I'd like to see BC in the same Division with Georgia Tech (rather than Virginia Tech) - two pro sports towns, large cities, many attractions, etc. - Red Sox and Braves. Nothing against Virginia Tech for sure - but a trip to Atlanta is attractive - just like a trip to Boston would be for Georgia Tech fans. We went to the FedEx Cup golf finals at East Lake several years ago when Matty Ice led us to victory over the Ramblin' Wreck. They have great tradition and it's a lot of fun there.

Boston College
Syracuse
Maryland
NC State
Wake Forest
Georgia Tech
Miami

Clemson
Pittsburgh
VTech
Virginia
Duke
UNC
Florida State

That's my current .02 :-)

Finally, I'd like to see WVU land somewhere else or stay in a revamped Big East. If the ACC goes to 16 teams, I'd rather see them admit Navy and Army, rather than CT and Rutgers.

CT
Rutgers
WVU
Louisville
Cincinnati
USF
UCF
ECU

Who knowa - never a dull moment.

mmason said...

This rejoining of the big least crowd in the ACC is like the Italian tank in WWII, more gears in reverse for surrenders than anything else. The East conference idea is a step backward--we wanted out of that mess for a reason and now we're going back to the hum-drum "been there done that" for no good reason at all. The ACC match-ups with those great southern schools for BC will be gone, but for the rare occasion, recruiting in the east just got a lot harder and who needs 'Cuse and Pitt with their light-weight portfolio and baggage to boot. Another bad idea--but loved by the East coast alums only. We're like Pacino in the last Godfather movie: we finally got out and now "they drag us back in..."

Big Jack Krack said...

Another reason to freeze UCONN and Rutgers out.

I forgot about TCU above - what must they be feeling now?

Big Jack Krack said...

Just doodling and thinking that it would be nice for the ACC to bring back Penn State to the East.

Here's a good quote from Spaziani " “We’re close, but we’re still a long way away from closing that little gap. It’s like a golfer trying to break 80.” . . .

Here's another on the running game producing 81 yards on 25 carries: “I feel like we blocked it better, but we didn’t hit the hole correctly, or we had a missed read here or there.”

I'm terrified to think of what might happen down the road - one of these teams might put up 50 against us while we are still in the mindset of squibb kicks and taking a knee and prevent offense and defense, etc.

I'll shut up now.

But I scheduled a week of vacation in Orlando so I could attend the UCF game that turned into a debacle. I have trips to Boston for Wake, FSU and NC State and Thanksgiving in Miami for that game.

Believe me, it's a lot more fun to build trips around football games when we actually have a chance to win. I suppose we might have a chance against Wake and NC State - but we will be very lucky if MD, Clemson, VTech, FSU, ND and Miami don't absolutely kill us with this coaching staff.

Erik said...

the Auctions section of BCEAGLES.com is funny.

4 Tickets to UMass game, great seats Section D (DBS), 4 Pre-Game Sideline Passes, 4 VIP Tours of the Yawkey Center, and an outdoor full tailgating privelege Parking Pass (which we pay $5k per year) -- Current bid is $220.00
And there's another for $200.00.

$55 per ticket is less than my face value, I believe without all the extra benefits.

John said...

I never wanted this - but a half empty stadium or worse for the rest of the games - but especially FSU on a Thursday night is about what Gene deserves.

matthew2 said...

Ned -- re: pitt/syracuse academics, you are grossly incorrect when you say "their stench is pronounced". There are many conferences going in the wrong direction, and I just don't agree with people that are upset with this move.

Good to see you too, mod.

Knucklehead said...

Adding UCONN would ruin the ACC's apparent focus on schools that seem to be focused on academics in terms of their overall student body, ncaa compliance, and class.

That being said BC needs a rivalry. The Basketball and Football teams have been listless and uninspired over the past 5 years. A rivalry, and UCONN is a natural rival, would help inspire the two programs.

I want see Calhoun with his motor mouth, seedy assistant coaches, and paid players come to Chestnut Hill. Some of the best basketball games in Conte forum history were played against UCONN. It would be great to play them tough and give them a scare.

The football games would be good to.

Ryan said...

I never want to play UConn until we get a public apology. Their latest posturing just makes them look like even bigger hypocrites. Good games or no, that school is a joke.

eagleboston said...

My God, some of you people need to bury the hatchet. Why waste any energy on UConn? We successfully switched to the ACC and it has been a great move for BC. We have been in the ACC for 6 years. 6 years! I can't believe anyone is still mad over that. We won, they lost. Get over it.

John said...

I haven't paid attention but where might the future UMASS be in all this?

Matt said...

Are Army and Navy in contention to be the 15th and16th teams? And if not, why not?

BCDisco said...

Love that BC and SU are in the same conference again. UConn... meh. I would be more inclined to allowing them to join if they hadn't sued everyone from the last expansion. But they're not a great fit anyway. Rutgers: no way. Villanova, uh wtf?

Swofford has shown he is smart and shrewd with this Pitt/SU move. I think he's saving numbers 15 and 16 for ND and someone ND wants to tag along. Either Swofford keeps the spot open for ND, or something else bigger than ND forces him to accept two other teams sooner.

There was a great post by a Ga Tech blogger who said that the ACC and the SEC have a nice relationship and sort of have an unspoken agreement not to raid each other. So naturally, the SEC expanded southwest, and the ACC expanded northeast. Makes sense. With all these other schools that are near your conference's borders, why upset your very powerful neighbor to the southeast?

John said...

just heard that both the ACC and SEC rejected the application of WVU.

Big Jack Krack said...

Great.

Darius said...

Matt: because they don't want to be.

http://www.bonesville.net/articles/OtherArticles/AP/C-USA/2003/Football/071103_Army_Exiting.htm

http://www.navysports.com/ot/ask-the-ad-conf-aff.html